Last summer the Scouts went to Polkemmet to search for geocaches. Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.

One of the things you can do with geocaching is to put a Travel Bug into a geocache. A Groundspeak Travel Bug is a trackable tag that you attach to an item. This allows you to track your item on Geocaching.com. The item becomes a hitchhiker that is carried from cache to cache (or person to person) in the real world and you can follow its progress online.

Graeme created the 7th Whitburn Scouts Travel Bug Dog tag with a goal to get to Brownsea Island in Dorset. This was the location of the first Scout camp led by Baden Powell in 1907

On the 29th June Graeme placed the Travel Bug in Dancing Tree which is a geocache near Forth. In August, a user called Clarinet2 took the Travel Bug and put it in a geocache called CastleHill Bluebells which is in Ayr. On the 25th September, a user called leo.hafs retrieved it from the cache and said he was going to take it closer to Dorset.

The Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service will take place on Sunday 10th November 2013. A few years ago, the Scouts, Explorers, Network and Adult Leaders attended this parade. It has always been considered an ‘optional’ parade for members as it can be a very cold day and the service deals with sombre themes.

Again, this year, we would like to extend an invite, on an optional basis, to all sections. There is no requirement to attend. However, if your child wishes to do so, they would be made very welcome for this very significant parade and service.

The details are as follows: Members are asked to assemble in the car park behind the Burgh Halls at 10.15am on the Sunday morning. Following a short prayer, we will parade from the there, at around 10.40am, to the Cenotaph at Whitburn Community Centre. After a short service at the Cenotaph, all participants will move over to Whitburn South Church for the Remembrance Service. The parade will then return to the Masonic Hall for a light lunch. Proceedings should finish around 1.15pm. If preferred, parents can collect their children at the end of the parade (around 12.40pm). All members in attendance are asked to wear their uniform as well as smart trousers for Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers. If possible, warm underclothes should be worn.

If you have any queries about this parade, please don’t hesitate to contact your Section Leader.